Profile of a Local Korean War Veteran: Cleveland Valrey

At times we come across remarkable men hidden
in plain sight in our midst. Cleveland Valrey is such a man. He
currently resides in Oakland, California, where at the age of 88 he
is living a quiet, unassuming life. Yet his story is truly an
impressive, even epic, American story.

Cleveland was born in 1930 in Beaumont, Texas. He spent his early
years living through the Great Depression. In early 1944, his family
moved to Oakland as part of the large migration westward to work in
California’s wartime industries. He attended high schools in
Oakland and Berkeley until 1946, when at the tender age of 16 he
managed to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later became the
U.S. Air Force. Following his discharge from the Air Force in 1949,
Cleveland decided to make military service his career, and
re-enlisted, this time in the U.S. Army. He qualified as an Army
Parachutist and Airborne Ranger in 1950. He then served two combat
tours in Korea: from 1950-51 as a member of the elite (and still
segregated and all black) 2nd Ranger Company (Airborne),
and from 1952-53 as a member of the 24th Infantry
Division, U.S. Army, which by that time was integrated.

Cleveland recuperating from his wounds in an Osaka hospital 1951

On May 20, 1951, Cleveland was wounded in an action on Hill 581
against Chinese and North Korean forces. He was evacuated to an Army
hospital in Osaka, Japan, where he recuperated from his wounds.

Cleveland Valrey, 2nd Ranger Company (Airborne), Korea, 1951

The awards he received for his Korean War service include the Combat
Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star “V”, Purple Heart, Army
Commendation Medal, Korean Service Medal with six battle stars and
arrowhead, and the United Nations Service Medal. In the years
following the war, he also received the Korean War 50th
Anniversary Commemoration Medal and the Ambassador for Peace Medal
from the Government of the Republic of Korea. A brief but impressive
and well-crafted documentary of his renowned 2nd Ranger
Company (Airborne), titled “Brother Rangers,” has been posted on
the KWMF website. We encourage you to take a look:
https://www.kwmf.org/brother-rangers/

After the Korean War, Cleveland served tours of duty in Japan
from1953-55, Germany from 1961-64, and the Dominican Republic in
1965, as a member of the 7th Special Forces Group
(Airborne). Next came Vietnam, where he served from 1965-66 with the
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), and yet again from
1968-69, where he served with the 205th Assault Support
Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Brigade Headquarters, and
the 120th Assault Support Helicopter Company. By this time
he was both a Master Parachutist and a Master Army Aviator, a rare
accomplishment.

Cleveland served his country in peacetime, two wars, and the Cold War
for more than 30 years. He retired from his long and distinguished
military career in 1977. In 2001, he was inducted into the U.S. Army
Aviation Hall of Fame. And in 2005, he was inducted into the U.S.
Army Ranger Hall of Fame.

Over the years, Cleveland attended a number of military schools,
including Japanese language school in Sendai, and German language
school in Munich. He also attended several civilian institutions
while on active duty, among them the University of Maryland, College
Park; the University of Southern California; and Troy State
University in Alabama.

Cleveland is also a Life Member in the following organizations:
American Legion; AMVETS; Disabled American Veterans; Disabled
Veterans’ Life Memorial Foundation, Founding Sponsor; Ranger Infantry
Companies (Airborne) Association (RICA), Korean War; Retired Officers
Association; Army Aviation Association of America; Military Officers
Association of America; Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association;
Worldwide Army Rangers, Inc. (WAR); Smithsonian Institution, National
Associate; National Museum, United States Army, Founding Sponsor;
National D-Day Museum, New Orleans, Charter Member; and the Military
Order of the Purple Heart.

Cleveland was married to Kikuko Awata Valrey for 56 years, until her
death in 2006. Their first child Rudy was born in Hachinohe, Japan
in 1953. Karl Felix was born in Sendai, Japan in 1955. Richard
Cleveland and Valerie Anna were born at Fort Lewis, Washington in
1956 and 1957 respectively. And Michael Aaron was born in Munich,
Germany in 1962. Cleveland and his late wife Kikuko have five
grandchildren and two great granddaughters.

He recently commented, “As a matter of interest, in 1983 I visited
my eldest son, then 1st Lt. Rudy Valrey, U.S. Army, who was serving
as a platoon leader near the DMZ in Korea. We took the opportunity to
travel around Munsan-ni near the Imjin River and surrounding hills,
which is where I made a combat jump on March 23, 1951.” It must
have been a memorable father-son reunion.

After more than 30 years of service to his country, Cleveland now
lives a quieter, more reflective life in Oakland, a life well-lived.
We salute the “Brother Ranger.”